EDEN — Powder Mountain has announced a $40 million investment that will expand advanced terrain, upgrade lift infrastructure and redevelop one of its key base areas as part of a multi-year effort to enhance the public side of the resort.
The Northern Utah ski area said the plan includes a new chairlift serving more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, replacement of the Sundown lift, a new beginner lift and construction of a new lodge at the Sundown base area.
Resort officials say the projects will increase Powder Mountain’s skiable terrain to more than 6,000 acres.
“This development plan is a demonstration of our commitment to keeping Powder a thriving public ski resort for generations to come,” said Brandi Hammon, president of Powder Mountain in a release. “As a local and an avid skier, the team and I are committed to our community and season passholders, and will continue investing in their on-mountain experience.”
New DMI Lift planned
Venue during Natural Selection Snow Super Sessions Powder Mountain – Competition on February 21, 2026 at Powder Mountain in Eden, Utah. Photo: © Chad Chomlack / Natural Selection Tour
The centerpiece of the expansion is a new Skytrac fixed-grip triple chairlift serving terrain in the Wolf Creek Canyon zone known locally as DMI, short for “Don’t Mention It.”
The lift is expected to open during the 2026–27 season when conditions allow and will provide public access to more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, including about 900 acres of lift-served skiing and roughly 2,200 feet of vertical drop.
Hammon said the terrain is some of the most sought-after in Northern Utah.
“The terrain in DMI is some of the best in Northern Utah. As a skier, it’s what you dream of: open glades, chutes, steep lines, it’s the perfect expansion for us and it is all expert skiing,” she said. “We can’t wait to hear the hooting and hollering as people drop in.”
Resort officials said the lift will also be among the steepest that Skytrac has ever constructed.
Lift upgrades and beginner access
Powder Mountain also plans to replace the existing Sundown Lift with a new high-speed quad built by Leitner-Poma of America in time for the 2026–27 season. The upgrade is expected to increase uphill capacity and reliability from the resort’s western base area and improve night skiing access.
A new beginner lift called the Doodle Lift will also be added near the Sundown base. The short fixed-grip quad will use repurposed components from the original Sundown Lift and provide access to beginner terrain designed for ski school instruction and first-time skiers and riders.
New lodge at Sundown
Construction is expected to begin this summer on a new 15,000-square-foot lodge at the Sundown base area, with completion planned for the 2027–28 season.
The building, designed by GSBS Architects, will include ski school operations, equipment rentals, food and beverage services, annual lockers and skier safety facilities.
Powder Mountain officials said the redevelopment will improve skier circulation and the overall guest experience while supporting the resort’s long-term growth plans.
Access initiatives and art installations
Alongside the infrastructure projects, Powder Mountain said it will reduce youth season pass pricing, starting at $249, and expand investment in ski school programming and instructor development.
The resort will also restore military season pass eligibility to include veterans in addition to active service members.
Powder Mountain said it will continue adding large-scale sculptures to the slopes through its partnership with the Powder Art Foundation, which promotes public art installations across the resort.
Officials say the resort’s capital projects are supported through its blended public-private model, which reinvests revenue from the Powder Haven real estate development and private membership program into public resort improvements.